Leica "Leitz Phone 1st and 2nd impression. Outstanding luxury

　Leica's first smartphone "Leitz Phone 1" released on July 16th 2021. " I can't afford a real Leica camera, but I can still buy a smartphone!" In this article, we will deliver the first impressions.　Here is the box for the Leitz Phone 1. It's all black and you can see the Leica logo in the middle.

　The contents are as follows.

• body
• Private case
• Dedicated lens cap
• SIM pin
• quick switch adapter
• Handling guide

　Leitz Phone 1 body. The texture is by far the best among the smartphones I have owned so far . It has a smooth texture and I really like it. The circular camera unit is characteristic and has a tremendous impact. The Leica logo placed in the upper right is also impressive.

　If you use the matte textured surface naked, the oils from your hands will soak into it, making it quite noticeable. Even if I tried to wipe it off, it wouldn't come off easily, so I had a hard time taking pictures.　The frame is made of aluminum and feels heavy. The combination of black and silver matches very well, and the feeling of ownership is quite satisfied.

　The sides are rouletted like Leica's interchangeable lenses, and the grip is stronger. It's pretty hard to slip, so naked operation is a great match for the author. If you put on a case, it will be completely hidden, so be careful.

　The Leitz Phone 1 uses an edge display. It looks very nice, but it is difficult to use. Incorrect operation occurs frequently, and the protective film is difficult to stick, so I really want you to stop using it.

　The "Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G" that I used before was also an edge display, but at that time there was no erroneous operation because I was able to set the area that could not be operated with an application called "Edge Touch".

　However, with the Leitz Phone 1, you can only select that area during gameplay. It's frustrating when I'm watching Twitter while sleeping and tapping in strange places without permission. Here is the dedicated lens cap. It sticks strongly with a magnet, so it won't fall off.

　The Leitz Phone 1's camera unit is quite large, so scratches and fingerprints are pretty noticeable. Wearing a lens cap on a regular basis eliminates that worry, so it is convenient.　However, it is annoying because you have to remove it every time you use the camera. Management when removed is also troublesome.

　This is the case for Leitz Phone 1. There is a three-dimensional Leica logo on the upper right. Since it's made of silicone, small dust particles are noticeable. When the case is attached, the volume increases very much and it is difficult to hold, so the author basically removes it.

　The back is a fiber material. In this case, it seems that there is a proper order to insert it, and if you continue to insert it in an unreasonable way, it seems that cracks will appear from the four corners.

　It's a pity that there are almost no options for third-party cases at present. I think I want a slightly thinner case. In the future, it seems that various types of Leitz Phone 1 exclusive cases will be officially released, so I'm looking forward to that.　It looks like this when all are installed. "Oh, I'm using a Leica smartphone properly ..." I feel like I'm in love. I think there are only smartphones that cost more than $1,280.　Since Leitz Phone 1 is based on AQUOS R6, " Pro IGZO OLED" is used for the display. This is my first IGZO display. The coloring is rather unique. It also supports 1-240Hz drive, so it works very smoothly.

　There is one subtle point, the top and bottom bezels are a little thick. Considering that it is a high-end machine that costs more than $1,280, at least I would like the lower bezel to be a little narrower.

　Fingerprint authentication was blazingly fast on AQUOS R6, but Leitz Phone 1 is similarly insanely fast. However, it is difficult to authenticate when the screen is off, so it can be solved by setting the screen to turn on when you pick it up. I do.

　Leitz Phone 1 is so expensive that the list price is $1,336, but if you apply from the Web with MNP, you can get a $153 discount, or make full use of the Yodobashi Camera campaign to get $156 without a line contract. Because it is a yen discount, you can purchase it much cheaper than the list price.

　Even after the discount, it's still a fairly expensive smartphone, but since it's a Leica-approved smartphone, I think it's worth buying considering that. It's not for everyone, but if you're a Leica fan or gadget fanatic, it's a product you'll want to try at least once. By all means, please consider touching the actual machine at the store.

SECOND IMPRESSION

　The main feature of the Leitz Phone 1, a smartphone supervised by Leica, is the camera. In the previous first impression, we mainly introduced the appearance of the Leitz Phone 1, so in this article, we will tell you about examples and usability.

Leitz Phone 1 Unique Features

　Since the Leitz Phone 1 is based on the AQUOS R6, both are basically the same in terms of hardware such as the 1-inch sensor and Summicron lens.

　Then, "What is different from AQUOS R6?"

Leitz Looks

　The Leitz Phone 1 has a dedicated monochrome mode, "Leitz Lools". You can also enjoy beautiful monochrome photography that embodies Leica, so it seems that you can take monochrome photos that are a bit different from other smartphones. Below is an example shot with Leitz Looks.　The Wing Zero Custom (EW), which is characterized by its white, blue, and yellow aircraft colors, also gives a slightly different impression when photographed in monochrome.

　I was surprised to see that the texture of the clouds was preserved even in landscape photos that I thought would be overexposed. Detail is also very fine, and I feel that the benefit of the 1-inch sensor is great. When you actually take a picture, it seems that the contrast and brightness are slightly different compared to the black-and-white photos on your smartphone.

　I didn't take monochrome photos at all, but I found it interesting and interesting to take monochrome shots that have a strange retro feel and are expressed only with black and white light and shade instead of colors. Also, since you don't have to think about colors, you can focus on the composition and what you're shooting, so I think it's a good way to study photography. It's a lot of fun to think about how rich the world can be shown with so little information.

bright frame

　When I turn on the camera on my Leitz Phone 1, 4 white lines appear on the screen. This is the second difference from AQUOS R6, which is called Bright Frame.

　A bright frame is a frame that appears bright when looking through the viewfinder to indicate the shooting range. Since you can see outside the shooting range, you can know when the subject enters the shooting range when shooting a moving subject.

It may be more difficult than other smartphones to take pictures casually with auto

　As was said at the beginning of AQUOS R6 (some improvements with updates), AF is still slow. Also, there is a slight lag after pressing the shutter, so I thought, "This is the moment!"

　The Leitz Phone 1 doesn't do well with moving subjects. It is very difficult to focus and blur. You can take good photos if you hold it firmly, but I feel that it is not a smartphone that is suitable for taking quick snapshots while walking.

　I'm not good at close-ups, so it's going to be difficult if you try to take pictures of food like you would with your smartphone. I think Leitz Phone 1 is not suitable for people who find it painful to adjust manually or enlarge with digital zoom. It's okay if you like photography and can enjoy even this kind of hassle.

High resolution of 1 inch sensor

　The image quality is higher than other smartphones, and the photos are finished with a sense of air and transparency. It does not look too dark, which is often seen in Chinese smartphones, and it looks quite natural. From here, I will introduce examples of Leitz Phone 1.

　Since the telephoto lens is not installed, the telephoto performance is weak. Digital zoom up to 6x. You can always use it up to twice as much, but if you give it more than that, the roughness will be noticeable.

　As I knew in advance, when I launch the camera app, the angle of view equivalent to 24mm is displayed as 1x at first. Next, when you tap the zoom button on the screen, it switches to 2x, equivalent to 48mm, and tapping it again switches to 0.7x, equivalent to 19mm.

　Other manufacturers' smartphones have multiple toggle buttons such as 1x, 5x, and 10x, but the Leitz Phone 1 does not. Hard to use.

RAW

　When shooting manually, it is also possible to save in JPEG + RAW format. If you install the mobile version of Lightroom, you can quickly develop anywhere. Thanks to the 1-inch sensor, the amount of information is large, and the range of development is widened, so it's fun to tweak it in more detail. Below is an example.

Overall review

　Leitz Looks, RAW with wide dynamic range, Bright Frame, etc. gave me a slightly different experience than the smartphone cameras I've used so far. When it comes to the image of a camera with a smartphone function, I don't think other smartphones can match the resolution, atmosphere, and bokeh of the Leitz Phone 1.

　There are some dissatisfaction points such as not being good at shooting moving subjects or close-up, and there is still room for improvement in the UI, but I hope that future updates will improve it somewhat. It's difficult to shoot with the same feeling as the smartphone you've been using, but if you want to take pictures one by one, you'll love it.

　As the name "Leitz Phone 1" suggests, it is still the first generation terminal. There is a possibility that the second generation will come out in the future, so at that time, I hope that it will be a wonderful camera smartphone with another upgrade.